Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. Thank you for all the correspondence following last week's edition. I'm afraid that I have been snowed under with stuff this week so I haven't replied to everyone yet. Please bear with me and I will try and reply this week. 1. Boundary Changes The only place to begin this week is with the proposed changes to the boundary of the Broxtowe Constituency. The Boundary Commission published their proposals this week and they suggest splitting Broxtowe in two. ...
You know how it is. You're minding your own business, catching up with some old friends, when, out of the corner of your eye, you notice that something isn't there. And so it was today with the Constitutional amendment F14, which was intended to introduce a structure for generating party strategy and reporting on its subsequent delivery. I am, as previously reported, the Secretary of the Party's International Relations Committee. And what I had noticed was that, in the list of new committees, the proposed new Federal International Relations Committee did not appear. Oversight or deliberate strategy I know not, ...
[IMG: Disco 2014] It's just a couple of hours until the event that's rapidly becoming the only place to be on Saturday night at Conference: the Lib Dem Disco run by Cambridge Liberal Democrats. I will brag for the rest of my life about how I beat Tim Farron two years ago. Who would have foreseen that. I was second only to the mighty Alistair Carmichael. Anyway, tonight's DJs are include a knight, Sir Simon Hughes, the Lib Dems' only cabinet minister, Kirsty Williams, a councillor known for her ability to hold off a massive challenge from Labour, Abi Bell ...
West Mercia police, Ludlow unitary councillors, along with Ludlow and Shropshire Councils, are launching a new initiative to tackle low-level crime across the Ludlow area. The Safer Ludlow project also aims to help people feel safer in their homes and when they are out and about in the town. The project will also encourage local... Continue reading West Mercia police and Ludlow councillors launch Safer Ludlow initiative →
Embed from Getty Images Good news from the Financial Times: Ivan Massow has been a flatmate of Michael Gove, an admirer of David Cameron and, briefly, a chaperone for Margaret Thatcher. The entrepreneur and philanthropist even aspired to be the Conservative candidate for mayor of London. But now he is a Liberal Democrat. His defection is the first of what Tim Farron's party hopes will be a stream of centrist recruits — motivated by a pro-EU outlook, fiscal moderation and the apparent end of the Tory party's Cameron era. "They are really nice people. It is such a change from ...
Victory for Jenny Davies on Thursday made it the first council election of any sort won by the Lib Dems in the Kettering constituency since 1999.
Sat 17th
18:51
My view of Iain Dale's new list of 50 most influential Lib Dems is in no way influenced by entry #22
Iain Dale fairly says of the 2016 edition of his list of the 50 most influential Liberal Democrats: After 19 new entries in last year's Liberal Democrat list, there are 15 new ones, or re-entries, this year. Much of this is due to the firming-up of the leader's organization - this time last year Farron was a brand new leader, and hadn't sorted out his office or his advisers. So many of the changes are due to new appointments - notably his widely-respected chief of staff Ben Williams, the highest new entry at number 5 - or to members of ...
Tomorrow sees the annual Arts Fresco event takes place here in Market Harborough. Full details on the event's website: Often described as a 'mini Fringe festival', Market Harborough's Arts Fresco is a free street theatre festival, that for one day every September, transforms the town centre into the biggest street arts festival in the Midlands. Every year thousands of people flock to Market Harborough to wander the streets, mingling with roaming dinosaurs, mad chefs and wheelie bins that drive themselves. Performers from all over Europe take part, from big names in the world of street theatre to unknown artists looking ...
Current The Collected Stories Of Arthur C. Clarke In The Blood, by Jenny Colgan A History of the World in Twelve Maps, by Jerry Brotton Last books finished Return to the Fractured Planet, by Dave Stone Cauldron, by Jack McDevitt Prisoners of Time, by Scott and David Tipton Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce Next books Unquenchable Fire, by Rachel Pollack Nemesis, by Philip Roth The Dinner, by Herman Koch Books acquired in last week Woman on the edge of Time, by Marge Piercy In The Blood, by Jenny Colgan Franco-Irish Relations, 1500-1610, by Mary-Ann ...
Yesterday, Caron ran down eight ways to follow the Brighton conference. As she mentioned, BBC Parliament will be carrying the conference on Monday and Tuesday. You can also watch the live stream on the party's website here (albeit that the audio and video currently seems a bit out of sync): * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. As part of the Liberal Democrat Voice team he helps with photos and moderation on the site, as well as occsionally contributing articles. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
Embed from Getty Images This week I had the chance to talk to Caroline Lucas, newly elected co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, about the book "The Alternative." She co-edited the book with Labour MP Lisa Nandy and her erstwhile 2015 Liberal Democrat opponent Chris Bowers. The three will be taking part in a fringe meeting at Conference tomorrow at 1pm in the Buckingham suite in the Hilton Metropole. The event is organised by the Social Liberal Forum. Part 1 is available here. Part 1 ended with a discussion on a more collaborative politics. That's not quite ...
Lib Dem Conference started this morning in Brighton and I am here to soak up the politics and enjoy the sun (and rain). I came down to London yesterday. I'm staying in my flat, commuting down to Brighton each day as it is much cheaper than getting a hotel! I arrived at Brighton this morning. Most conversations I've had so far have been about my goats! Lib Dems are obviously more interested in
There is a by-election taking place in Chopwell and Rowlands Gill ward on Thursday 22nd September. This is a very strong Labour ward though their strength is based more in the Chopwell part of the ward. In that village, there are streets such as Lenin Terrace and Marx Terrace. That tends to give a bit of the flavour of the ward. In the May local elections, Labour romped home with about two
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. 741 party members responded – thank you – and we're publishing the full results. Nuclear weapons have always been a tricky issue for Liberal Democrats. In Bournemouth last year, the vote on whether to renew Trident was knife-edge close. We've been fudging the issues for years and the day of reckoning approaches. The Bournemouth debate resulted in a working group being set up to fully investigate the possibilities. They outline five options ...
What is Conference without a bit of mischief? Yes, there are serious debates, but we have to have a bit of fun as well. This is why we've come up with a diversion that will help you get round Conference and meet lots of interesting people. That's right. Your mission, dear reader, should you choose to accept it, is to collect as many of the following items as possible during Conference. The first person to prove that they have them all will win a special LDV prize. To stake your claim to the prize, email me on caron@libdemvoice.org on Tuesday ...
This is a seasonal celebration of autumn and apples with the Abbotswood Action Group community.It's loads of fun and there will be interesting and creative activities for all ages. Admission is free and refreshments will be available. Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome to come along too. Location: St Nicholas Family Centre garden and Abbotswood precinct, Chargrove, Abbotswood, Yate, BS37 4LG, 11am - 3pm.
In conversation with my old chum Charles (Uncle Albert) Walker (95 years young) the other day he told me of his playing putting and bowls in North Park during his lunch hour when he worked for an electroplating company in Bootle. This made me think about a park I have worked almost next to myself for over 20 years so I took this shot as it is now from a high vantage point. The road in the foreground is Marsh Lane, with Stanley Road forming the road along the right hand side of the park. [IMG: Bootle's North Park] Click ...
In an interview in the Guardian this week, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron gave an interesting, counter-intuitive take on Tony Blair: "Blair in three chapters - the final chapter is post 9/11, where breathtaking foolishness after foolishness, hubris and something that diminished Britain in the world, cost the lives of thousands of innocent people and misled the country. What he did was unspeakable. But let's look at the first two chapters, where he built an opposition that could beat the Tories. Then when he brought in minimum wage, tax credits, schools, devolution. I think being a person who thinks winning ...
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. 741 party members responded – thank you – and we're publishing the full results. This lunchtime, two consultation sessions will take place on two policy areas. Full debates on these subjects will take place at Spring Conference in York. I remember way back in 1992, around Black Wednesday, we were the first national party to debate sex work. We are now in the process of updating our policy to take account of ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2016 Scottish Water Clatto East (Mains Renewal) - Lochee Road (Tullideph Road to Park Street) - closed southbound for 3 weeks. Rosefield Street and Peddie Street closed for one week. Perth Road (Glamis Road to West Park Road) - closed for 6 weeks for gas main renewal. Forthcoming Closures Kirsty Semple Way (access road to A&E to car park entrance to Mackenzie building) - closed on Sunday 2 October for one day for crane lifting operations.
Yesterday the first Liberal Democrat leaflets ahead of the Witney by-election started appearing through voters' letterboxes in what used to be David Cameron's constituency.
Whether you are physically in Brighton or are following what is happening from home, this is your place to talk about the public face of the Conference – in other words, all the debates and speeches that are going on in the main auditorium. Please use the comments below to add your reports on policy and constitutional debates or to draw readers' attention to ones in the pipeline. You can read the agenda in full, including the text of amendments, here. We will be running a similar thread each day, so please confine your comments today to what is actually ...
How Vestager took a bite out of Apple Long, good reportage by @politicoryan. (tags: eu economics )
The Liberal Democrats are to set up an independent expert panel to consider the case for a dedicated NHS and care tax, Norman Lamb will announce in his Conference speech at Brighton later today. Members of the 'New Beveridge Group' will include Dr. Clare Gerada, former President of the Royal College of GPs, Prof. Dinesh Bhugra, former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and current President of the World Psychiatric Association, Peter Carter, the former General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, and the chief executive of the Patients' Association, Katherine Murphy. It will report its recommendations to ...
Just when we thought that the Tory party had settled down after its leadership election a face from the past pops up and stakes out his claim to the future. As the Guardian reports, George Osborne reappeared to give his first interview since Theresa May sacked him as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In doing so he warned the new Prime MInister that he plans to be the champion of "the liberal mainstream majority", questioning her policies on grammar schools and her "wobble" on the "northern powerhouse" initiative: Osborne said May had made a "strong start" as prime minister but offered ...
'Taking back control of our borders' means a huge loss of control for individuals I recently finished reading Fires and Ashes by Michael Ignatieff. This is a political memoir with a difference. Most books in this genre seek to justify their author's career. Ignatieff begins by acknowledging that his was misconceived from the start and it was [...]
